Today in Rock and Roll History

1985 - Neil Young
The first Farm Aid benefit concert was held before a crowd of 80,000 people at the Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois. Organized by Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp and Neil Young, the event had been spurred on by Bob Dylan's comments at Live Aid earlier in that year that he hoped some of the money would help American farmers. The star studded line-up of country stars included: Alabama, Hoyt Axton, Glen Campbell, Johnny Cash, Charlie Daniels Band, John Denver, Bob Dylan, John Fogerty, Vince Gill, Merle Haggard, Emmylou Harris, Waylon Jennings, George Jones, Kris Kristofferson, Loretta Lynn, Roger Miller, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Willie Nelson, Charley Pride, Bonnie Raitt, Kenny Rogers.

September 23rd
1977 - David Bowie
David Bowie released 'Heroes' as a single. Co-written by Bowie and Brian Eno, the track features King Crimson guitarist Robert Fripp and has gone on to become one of Bowie's signature songs.

1980 - Bob Marley
Bob Marley collapsed on stage during a concert at the Stanley Theater in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Marley had collapsed in New York's Central Park while jogging, two days before and was told to immediately cancel the US leg, but flew to Pittsburgh to perform one final performance. This was the last time Marley ever appeared on stage performing, Marley died of cancer on in May 1981.

2006 - Neil Young
Neil Young was named artist of the year at the Americana Honors and Awards at the fifth annual event in Nashville, Tennessee. The 60-year-old singer-songwriter released the protest album Living With War this year.

2019 - Robert Hunter
Robert Hunter, Grateful Dead lyricist died age 78. He provided the Grateful Dead with many of their vivid and enduring lyrics for some of the band’s signature songs, including 'Uncle John’s Band', 'Scarlet Begonias' and 'Dark Star.'

September 24th
2003 - The Dave Matthews Band
The Dave Matthews Band played at Central Park in New York City, in front of almost 100,000, the band's largest audience to date. The Central Park Concert was later released as an album.

September 25th
1975 - Jackie Wilson
Jackie Wilson had a heart attack while performing live on stage at the Latin Casino, New Jersey. Wilson collapsed into a coma suffering severe brain damage. Ironically, he was in the middle of singing one of his biggest hits, 'Lonely Teardrops' and was two words into the line, "....my heart is crying" when he collapsed to the stage, striking his head heavily. He remained semi-comatose for the nine years until his death in 1984, at the age of 49. Van Morrison wrote the song 'Jackie Wilson Said', covered by Dexy's Midnight Runners.

I feel really bad about Jackie Wilson hitting his head, but I'm going to skip the middle man and get right to the good stuff.

1980 - John Bonham
John Bonham, drummer with Led Zeppelin, died aged 32 after a heavy drinking session. ‘Bonzo’ was found dead at guitarists Jimmy Page's house of what was described as asphyxiation, after inhaling his own vomit after excessive vodka consumption, (40 shots in 4 hours). During live sets his drum solo, ‘Moby Dick,’ would often last for half an hour and regularly featured his use of his bare hands. In 2007, Ludwig issued a limited edition drum kit in Bonham's memory.

2017 - Tom Petty
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers appeared at the Hollywood Bowl in Hollywood, California. The concert, which would ultimately be the Heartbreakers' final show, ended with a performance of 'American Girl'. Tom Petty died of an accidental drug overdose a week later on October 2, 2017.

2018 - Marty Balin
American singer, songwriter Marty Balin died at the age of 76. He was best known as the founder and one of the lead singers of Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship who had the 1967 US No.18 single 'White Rabbit'. Balin played with Jefferson Airplane at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967 and at the Woodstock Festival in 1969.

September 28th
1980 - The Police
The Police were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Don't Stand So Close To Me' the group's third No.1. Taken from their album 'Zenyatta Mondatta' and the best selling single of 1980.

1991 - Miles Davis
American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer Miles Davis died of a stroke and pneumonia. His 1959 album 'Kind of Blue', is a major influence on jazz music. Davis is considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century.

September 29th
1967 - The Beatles
Working at Abbey Road in London, The Beatles mixed the new John Lennon song ‘I Am The Walrus’, which included the sound of a radio being tuned through numerous stations, coming to rest on a BBC production of William Shakespeare's "King Lear". Lennon composed the song by combining three songs he had been working on. When he learned that a teacher at his old primary school was having his students analyse Beatles' lyrics, he added a verse of nonsense words.

1976 - Jerry Lee Lewis
Enjoying his own birthday celebrations singer Jerry Lee Lewis accidentally shot his bass player Norman Owens in the chest. Lewis had been blasting holes in an office door. Owens survived but sued his boss.

2018 - Otis Rush
American blues guitarist and singer-songwriter Otis Rush died from complications of a stroke aged 84. His distinctive guitar style featured a slow-burning sound and long bent notes. His first single, ‘I Can't Quit You Baby’, in 1956 reached No.6 on the Billboard R&B chart. Two of his other best-known songs, are ‘Double Trouble’ and ‘All Your Love (I Miss Loving).’

September 30th
1977 - Mary Ford
Mary Ford died from cancer after being in a diabetic coma for 54 days. One-half of the husband-and-wife musical team, Les Paul and Mary Ford. Between 1950 and 1954, the couple had 16 top-ten hits; in 1951 alone, they sold six million records.

October 1st
1965 - Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan appeared at Carnegie Hall in New York City. He introduced his new touring band on this tour, made up of guitarist Robbie Robertson, organist Garth Hudson, bassist Rick Danko, pianist Richard Manual and drummer Levon Helm. They will become known simply as The Band.

1966 - Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix appeared live for the first time in the UK when he jammed with Cream at their gig at London Polytechnic. Hendrix made his official UK live debut a month later on Friday 25 Nov 1966, when the Jimi Hendrix Experience appeared at the Bag O'Nails Club, London.


1970 - Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix was buried at The Greenwood Cemetery at the Dunlop Baptist Church, Seattle. Among the mourners; Miles Davis, Eric Burdon, Johnny Winter and members of Derek and the Dominoes.

1975 - Al Jackson
39 year old Al Jackson, drummer for Booker T. And The MGs, was shot and killed by a burglar at his home. His wife was questioned about the killing because she was arrested in July for shooting her husband in the chest during a domestic dispute. He wasn't badly hurt and the charges were dismissed when his wife claimed self-defense. Jackson had returned home to what police described as a botched robbery attempt. According to Jackson's wife, an intruder made her answer the door and then threw her husband to the floor demanding money. Jackson was forced to lie face down and then was shot in the back five times. The identity of the culprit remains a mystery. Booker T had backed such artists as Otis Redding, Al Green and Sam and Dave.

2004 - Bruce Palmer
Canadian bassist Bruce Palmer died of a heart attack. Member of The Mynah Birds and The Buffalo Springfield. Also worked with Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young and Neil Young.